From corporate to conservation: how diverse experiences can lead to your dream job

The journey to a career in conservation is rarely straightforward – more like a winding trail with unexpected turns and exciting detours. Mark Cox’s path is no exception. After landing his dream job at WWF straight out of college, he ventured into the corporate world, only to rediscover his passion for conservation later on.

His career in communications has unfolded as an adventure, weaving in and out of various industries and gathering invaluable skills while building connections along the way. Mark’s story is a testament to the power of diverse experiences and the many surprising ways one can ultimately find their calling in conservation.

The dream job

Mark’s fascination with the natural world began in childhood, alongside a deep love for creative activities like drawing and design. Initially set on studying fine arts in high school, he shifted gears to graphic design, believing it would offer more career opportunities.

“I was always passionate about nature, and I tried to incorporate that into many of my graphic design projects,” he recalls.

Among his favourite projects were a book on the Hawaiian Goose, one of the world’s rarest geese, and a poster about the decline of the House Sparrow in the UK. After graduating, Mark landed his dream role as a graphic designer at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a job he had never anticipated securing so soon.

“I got to do creative work that had a meaningful impact on wildlife and environmental issues.” Being part of a multidisciplinary team, which included fundraisers, scientists, and advocates, was immensely rewarding.

The snowball effect

The growing pressure for financial stability eventually prompted him to transition to a design agency, where he gained valuable commercial experience working with brands like Canon and Unilever. A family move to Australia provided Mark with the opportunity to pivot again, this time working freelance before joining a digital product studio.

Over a decade, he honed his skills in tech, apps, and websites, particularly within financial services. Although his mind was engaged, his heart felt unfulfilled, and a career break followed. During this time, he volunteered for Rainforest Rescue, an experience that rekindled his passion for conservation.

“Volunteering with Rainforest Rescue brought everything back into focus for me,” Mark reflects. When a communications manager role opened up at the organisation, it felt like the perfect fit.

Since then, Mark has been working part-time at Rainforest Rescue while running his own communications consultancy, relishing projects that span from not-for-profits to collaborations with local businesses. “It feels like everything has come full circle. Life has a funny way of leading you where you need to be.”

Mark believes that his time in the corporate world had a lasting impact on his work in conservation. His transition from WWF to corporate design and back into the nonprofit world has helped him develop a unique skill set. Mark experienced the snowball effect, where he the further along his career he went, the more skills and experiences he collected to add to his portfolio.

“All those experiences – whether it was working with WWF, Canon, or large Australian businesses – came together,” he explains. “I was able to take the communications skills I learned in the corporate world and use them as a force for good in conservation.”

*The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Northeast Australia is about 160 million years old, making it the oldest rainforest in the world!*

Communicating for conservation

Effective communication is key to conservation work, especially when it comes to building support. “Conservation is often funded by grants and donors,” Mark says. “It’s essential to explain why the work matters, but we’re also competing for people’s attention.”

A prime example is Rainforest Rescue’s work in the Daintree Rainforest, the world’s oldest continuous rainforest. “The Daintree is about 160 million years old, and we aim to grow up to 150,000 new trees each year,” Mark explains.

“There are times when the plants grow so fast, you can almost hear them! Our CEO jokes that at this rate, the Daintree will be the only rainforest on Earth that’s growing rather than shrinking – what an elevator pitch for the organisation!”

Engaging the public through compelling stories is at the heart of Mark’s communications work. One of Rainforest Rescue’s most watched YouTube videos involved the Idiospermum, or “idiot fruit,” an ancient plant species whose quirky name draws people in.

Another email campaign was titled “Significant Seeds Smoko”, cleverly using the Australian slang “smoko” (meaning a ten minute smoke break), to catch a reader’s attention and curiosity.

Like a smoko, the email took ten minutes to read, and created a fun and relatable message about the importance of certain seeds in rainforest restoration. “At the end of the day, it’s about engaging people in a way that resonates with them,” Mark says.

For Mark, crafting the right message is only part of the equation; how it’s delivered matters just as much. Recently, Rainforest Rescue celebrated its 25th anniversary, and Mark has been sending out fortnightly messages highlighting different aspects of the organisation’s journey.

“It’s a fun challenge,” he shares. “It’s all about finding fresh ways to tell these stories while keeping supporters engaged.”

The power of storytelling

Reflecting on his career, Mark points to several communication campaigns he’s particularly proud of. One that stands out is a campaign from his WWF days, aimed at highlighting the harmful effects of plastics on both human and animal health.

“We wanted to grab Parliament’s attention, so we delivered a skip full of chemicals – metaphorically, of course as the skip was full of WWF supporters. It was designed to show that we’re all contaminated by plastics.” The team built a theatrical prop skip and supporters walked it through Westminster, stopping traffic and making headlines.

Mark has also had the opportunity to work with local Aboriginal communities, an experience he describes as deeply humbling. “I attended my first clan meeting recently and the experience was far harder, tougher and more humbling than me going into a boardroom full of banking executives! I could see how the things we were discussed with these people were going to impact their lives directly.”

Currently, Mark is working on a new project that involves Cassowary poop, a pitch that he was sure would be turned down but has now turned into an exciting collaboration with a Sydney zoo!

“It was one of those projects where I pitched it and I thought this is never going to land. And then I got an email saying they loved it!” Although he can’t reveal too much yet, he’s excited about the possibilities. “You never know where your ideas will take you.” he says.

Persistence is key

For those looking to break into communications, Mark emphasises the importance of persistence: if you have idea, see it through. “Sometimes ideas feel too hard to pull off, but you have to push through,” he advises.

“Whatever you’re working on even now, there’s an opportunity to do something new, something different. Innovate, rethink, whatever it might be, you can always push things.”

Networking is also crucial – whether it’s reaching out cold on LinkedIn or grabbing coffee with someone in the industry. “We’re all connected in some way and we need to build that network. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or reach out to people and be interested in what they are doing,” he advises.

“Questions unlock things and it is amazing what people will share. So many opportunities open up just by showing genuine interest and you never know where those connections will lead,” he says.

Mark’s final piece of advice? Don’t be afraid of failure. “A lot of what we do is trial and error,” he explains. “The key is to learn from each experience, adapt, and try again.”

Understanding people and what makes them tick is equally essential, Mark notes, especially in communications. “At the end of the day, we’re communicating with people, so understanding behavioural psychology plays a huge role. Understanding what makes people tick even if it’s not what makes you tick and being comfortable in doing things that you might not like because you are not necessarily your audience”.

As he looks toward the future, Mark reflects on the broader concept of “healing
country,” something he learned from a local Indigenous mentor. This idea embodies
assisting in the restoration of the harmony that existed between Indigenous peoples and the land – an ideal he aspires to support in his work.

“Before colonial times, Indigenous people didn’t need to ‘heal country’ because they lived in harmony with the land. “Healing” is something only needed when we have to repair damage, like to ourselves, each other and to the natural environment.”

These words stuck with Mark, reminding him of the interconnectedness between healing both people and the planet. This is what ultimately drives him forward in his career in communications within the conservation world.

For aspiring conservationists, the call is clear: embrace the twists and turns of your journey, for it is through these experiences that we truly discover our purpose and potential in the world of conservation.

Find out more:

Learn about Rainforest Rescue.

Connect with Mark on his website and LinkedIn.